Oh dang! I might be a Pharisee!

Mark 2:17 "[Jesus] said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of
a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'

Observation:
This reminds me of a discussion I got into after Pastor Ken's message on Sunday in which he said, "The church will never change the world if we continue to hang onto out consumer mentality about church". Some friends and I were talking about how we are called to have God change our lives, but must then be responsible to be a part of God changing the lives of other people through us! It is all too often that people come to a worship gathering with a "What can I get?" mentality rather than the "What can I do?" mentality represented and encouraged by Jesus. It has often been said that The Church is the world's only organization that exist predominantly for those outside of itself. Sadly, this becomes less and less true as we continue to consume God's resources without regard for those outside who have no connection to God on a personal level.
They are sick and dying. They are the ones for whom Jesus came. And yet they are ignored unless they take initiative to come inside our inward facing circle. This is exactly what the Pharisees of Jesus day were guilty of!

Application:
I wonder what ratio is of time I spend focussing on those inside the
Church to those outside. An honest assesment would be pretty bleak.
Jesus did not come for the healthy but the sick. He certainly did not
send me to do something different than His own purpose!
How do I fix this?!

Prayer:
Jesus, You came for a very specific purpose; to call the lost to come
to life. You have sent me to be your ambassador now and I have not
lived up to the full extent of my calling at all times. Please forgive
me for the places in my heart that are bitterly Pharisaical! Remove
any of the distaste in my mouth for the lost and increase
my passion to GO into all the world as You have commanded me to do!

God is Seasonal

Scricture: Leviticus 26:3-4 ‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, (4) then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.'

Observation: It is important for us to recognize the use of the word 'season' in this context. So many have been led to believe that when God speaks of giving us physical blessings that He always means that we will become rich and have more than we could ever need. While this may be true in some cases, it is short sighted to assume that this is how God always functions. Here, God's promise is that He will give rain in its season, not always. He goes on to say that threshing will last till vintage and vintage until sowing. There is no overflow in this particular promise; but the is certainly no lack!
It seems to me that God wanted them to know the seasons for a reason. Perhaps so none of God's blessing would go to waste. Not one rainy day would come without God's kids being prepared for it; not one harvest without His children waiting in anticipation to pull it in!

Application: As a follower of this great God who has promised to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory, I must prayerfully take stock of the Promises of God for my life. God is seasonal. There are times His promise is to bring me through the rain, others when He has provided more than I could ever think to ask for sothat I may be a blessing to someone in a different season.
I must not be wasteful of God's seasonal provision. I do this when I complian in hard times or when I think I was the one who brought the blessing to my life. I have been given a great blessing above all material things; to serve a God who loves me and knows what is best for me! I count it pure joy no matter what season I may be in, knowing that God has a good plan to make me more like Him through every season!

Prayer: Father, You are so good to me all the time! Thank You for Your perfect provision in my life! I commit to look for a way to honor You in every season in my life!

Freedom Perspective

Lev 10-13 & Acts 16
S- Acts 16:36-37 'So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace."
37 But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out."'

O- What has never struck me about this great story of God jailbreaking Paul & Silas is the profound fact that after all the great things that happened that night in the gaurd's house, they seem to have returned to their jail cells. The following morning they're just hangin out in prison when the order comes to set them free.
This is amazing to me! First of all, a new friend is made who was about to kill himself because he knew that his prisoners escape would get him killed anyway. Paul & Silas must have taken that into account, deciding to give up their earthly freedom to save the life of a friend.
Second, their action speaks a great deal about their perspective of freedom. They had already been set free, so what they were doing was just hangin with a pal; they were not prisoners any more!

A- I wonder how many times God has set us free of things and yet we decide to stay in jail because we can't see our freedom.
I wonder how many times I would be willin to have my own earthly freedoms bound for the life of another.
I must get a more Godly perspective on freedom! He who the Son sets free is free indeed!!! No matter what the world around you says!
If you can get tht right perspective, the world will come thinking they are ready to do you a favor and set you free and you can take a note from Paul & Silas & remind the worl of what Kingdom you happen to be a citizen!

P- God, I know You have set me free! I will not look at my life the way the world does! I bind myself to You & Your will for me!
Thank You for my freedom!
Amen

'The highest form of worship toward God is obediance' -Dana